ITF EU Representative, Dr Hassan Aydinli, attended the Böll Book Presentation at the European Parliament

At the invitation of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung European Union Dr. Hassan Aydinli, ITF E.U. Representative, and Merry Fitzgerald of Europe-Turkmens Friendships, attended the Böll Book Presentation “Myths of Nuclear Power – A Guide” at the European Parliament in Brussels on 26th October 2010.

Speakers :

Antony Froggatt, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House

Steve Thomas, Professor, University of Greenwhich Business School

Hosts:

Ms. Rebecca Harms, MEP, Co-President of the GREENS/EFA Group

Ms. Fiona Hall, MEP, Leader of the UK Liberal Democrats in the ALDE Group

“Myths of Nuclear Power – A Guide”

The myth of nuclear power keeps persevering: lobbyists and politicians will not tire of praising nuclear power as an unlimited, cheap and secure energy source. As a matter of fact the number of nuclear power plants in the world is continually decreasing. Cost estimates for new nuclear plants have been escalating at an alarming rate and up to now, they have been funded by massive public subsidies. The newest myth paints nuclear power as the necessary bridging technology to the renewable future, thus ignoring the fact that nuclear energy and renewable energies de facto compete for a meagre amount of investment capital and power-lines. Many systemic issues have not been thoroughly investigated yet when it comes to compatibility or incompatibility of the centralised nuclear approach versus the decentralised efficiency+renewable strategy: What are the consequences for grid development or how do choices on grid characteristics influence power generation investment strategies? How do government grants/ subsidies stimulate long-term decision-making? Will large renewable power plants reproduce the same system effects as large coal/nuclear plants?

The Heinrich Boell Foundation has asked renowned international scholars from both sides of the Atlantic to prepare reports which challenge these and other “nuclear myths”. This overview provides for a current, facts rich and nuclear-critical know-how.